Gaels' Beau Levesque (15) tries to pass over Matt Carlino (2) in the second half. The Saint Mary's Gaels played the Brigham Young University Cougars at McKeon Pavilion in Moraga, Calif., on Saturday, February 15, 2014.

Kyle Collinsworth (5) passes the ball past Brad Wardlow (00) in the second half. The Saint Mary's Gaels played the Brigham Young University Cougars at McKeon Pavilion in Moraga, Calif., on Saturday, February 15, 2014.

St. Mary's Stephen Holt (14) puts up a shot in the second half. The...

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Cougars' Luke Worthington (41) puts up a shot over Gaels' Brad Waldow (00) in the first half. The Saint Mary's Gaels played the Brigham Young University Cougars at McKeon Pavilion in Moraga, Calif., on Saturday, February 15, 2014.

St. Mary's Kerry Carter (3) is fouled by Brigham Young's Kyle Collinsworth (5) in the second half. The Saint Mary's Gaels played the Brigham Young University Cougars at McKeon Pavilion in Moraga, Calif., on Saturday, February 15, 2014.

St. Mary's Gaels' head coach Randy Bennett reacts to a call by the refs in the second half. The Saint Mary's Gaels played the Brigham Young University Cougars at McKeon Pavilion in Moraga, Calif., on Saturday, February 15, 2014.

Brigham Young's Tyler Haws (3) hugs assistant coach Mark Pope after the Cougars defeated the St. Mary's Gaels on Saturday. The Saint Mary's Gaels played the Brigham Young University Cougars at McKeon Pavilion in Moraga, Calif., on Saturday, February 15, 2014.

The Gaels' bench watched the closing seconds of the game as the Brigham Young Cougars take the lead in the second half. The Saint Mary's Gaels played the Brigham Young University Cougars at McKeon Pavilion in Moraga, Calif., on Saturday, February 15, 2014.

Center Brad Waldow, one of two returning starters for St. Mary’s, shoots against BYU in February. He averaged 15.1 points and 7.5 rebounds last season.

Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle

Center Brad Waldow, one of two returning starters for St. Mary’s,...

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Matthew Dellavedova approaches his mother, Leanne and father Mark Dellavedova after his number was retired before the game. The Saint Mary's Gaels played the Brigham Young University Cougars at McKeon Pavilion in Moraga, Calif., on Saturday, February 15, 2014.

Kyle Collinsworth (5) puts up a shot over Garrett Jackson, (22) and Jordan Giusti (12) in the first half. The Saint Mary's Gaels played the Brigham Young University Cougars at McKeon Pavilion in Moraga, Calif., on Saturday, February 15, 2014.

Twice during his news conference following St. Mary's come-from-ahead, 60-57 loss to BYU on Saturday, Randy Bennett used the phrase, "We got tighter and tighter and tighter."

The Gaels' head coach acknowledged his team didn't handle the Cougars' zone too well nor did the Gaels handle the tenseness of a game in which neither team led by more than five points in the final 12:55.

"We choked a little bit," Bennett said. "It happens. It happens all the time. You don't want it to."

For a good while, it appeared the Gaels would enjoy a rollicking good late afternoon and early evening. They retired Matthew Dellavedova's No. 4 in a pregame ceremony and then bolted to a 25-11 lead with 7:43 remaining in the first half.

Two Saturdays earlier, they also built a 14-point lead in the first half at BYU before falling 84-71. The loss in the rematch stung the Gaels much more than the loss in Provo, Utah, on Feb. 1.

After Nate Austin hit 1 of 2 foul shots with exactly a minute to go to give the Cougars a 56-55 edge, the Gaels (19-8, 9-5 WCC) had two possessions on which they could take the lead. Kerry Carter committed a turnover on each, both times near the St. Mary's bench.

Turnovers plagued the Gaels. After committing only five in the first half, they committed nine (many unforced) in the second. The Cougars (18-10, 10-5) converted those 14 giveaways into 17 points.

With St. Mary's down 58-55 with four seconds to go, guard Stephen Holt hit the front end of a 1-and-1. Some teams then would have their shooter intentionally miss the second attempt and try to get a rebound, which could lead to a tying or go-ahead shot.

Bennett had Holt try to make the second, which he did. "I might have played that one wrong," Bennett said.

The Gaels then trailed 58-57. They fouled Skyler Halford after he received the inbounds pass. He made both foul shots with 3.2 ticks left.

The Cougars fouled Holt with 1.6 seconds to go. He missed the front end of the 1-and-1, Austin grabbed the rebound, and BYU had regained second place in the WCC, a half-game ahead of St. Mary's and USF.

The Gaels have two home conference losses in a season for the first time since 2006-07. More important, they now almost assuredly have to win the WCC tournament in Las Vegas next month to reach the NCAA Tournament.

"It hurts," Holt said. "It hits right at home and especially me being a senior, I've only got so many left."